Adjusting to Life
by F8less
Summary: How does Eleanor learn to cope with life on the surface? Who helps her along the way?  Series of one-shots
1. Chapter 1

**Notice: _I am posting the beginnings of multiple stories, which I probably will not get to work on until school let's out in two weeks, but I figured I'd get a few out, and I'll probably focus on the one that gets the best reception first. (Each story is for a different fandom) _**

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><p><strong>This is going to be a series of one-shots following Eleanor as she learns to live on the surface.<strong>

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><p>She sat with her feet dangling in the murky water. Tears streaming down her face. Her hair wet, and matted. Her father lay lifeless next to her. She was lost.<p>

Emotionally, physically, and mentally lost. How was she going to get off this hunk of metal? Where was she going to go? What was she going to do?

Her mentally unstable mother was dead. She spent her whole life being used. Stuck in the city from hell, and now she was alone. Utterly alone. She contemplated killing herself

with the hypo attached to her wrist. No one was still alive to miss her. She was... without a purpose. What was there to lose? _Nothing _she thought, _There was nothing to lose_.

Her body fought her. It wouldn't let this young woman end her life. It knew there was more in the world above for her. Even if her mind didn't.

She spent hours staring blankly at the lighthouse. It's light spinning around and around taunting her. She sighed, _Well I'll probably starve to death anyways_.

She didn't recall falling asleep, but she'll never forget waking up. The unmistakable sounds of a boat motor startled her. She lept up from her resting place, and instinctively

waved both her arms in the air. At this point she didn't care who it was. She just wanted off this debris. The boat pulled up next to the floating platform.

A man stepped down to the edge of the boat, and reached out to help her up. She registered that this man must know of Rapture. Either that or he was hard to surprise.

For a couple reasons. He clearly noticed the big metal corpse next her, and didn't flee like a scared little kid. He also willingly offered her his hand, seeing that she was wearing a suit built

for fighting, and an unfriendly, foot long needle connected to her wrist. She quickly grasped his hand, and accepted his aid. He hadn't killed the engine so she had to shout to be heard.

"That's my father!" she yelled, and pointed. "Bring him too!" The man nodded. Her body went rigid the second her father's body rose into the air seemingly on it's own accord,

and floated onto the vessel. _Plasmid!_ Her mind shouted,_ He doesn't look, or act like a typical splicer_. She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn't notice the boat pull away from

the wreckage. _Well he can't be any worse than starving to death, _she grimly assumed.

She made her way to the control room. She watched him calmly as he guided the vehicle. After a while he pulled a few levers, and pressed a button. Then he stood,

and motioned for her to follow him. She found herself on the deck where the roar of the motors wasn't as prominent. A cream colored table rested in the center of the deck.

Surrounded by four pinewood chairs. The man sat, and she got a good look at him. He was handsome for his age. He looked to be in his mid-thirty's.

His left hand was bent towards him, and shaking slightly. _It must be his plasmid, Telekinesis, _she figured. She also noted a tattoo of a chain that encircled his wrist.

He motioned for her to sit, but she wouldn't. "I'm not sitting until I get some answers, and do you ever speak, or do you prefer hand gestures?"

She asked, she didn't mean for it to be a serious question. "Hand gestures," He stated plainly. _His voice, _she thought,_ it's amazing like music._

_ Is it because his is the only voice I've heard that hasn't come from a psychotic person? _She asked herself. "Ok, well I'm not good with motions your going to have to use your voice."

"Fine, my name's Jack." _Jack, I've heard that name before._ "Eleanor," she responded. "Well, Eleanor would you please sit? I feel like your going to attack me standing like that."

"I still might, but something tells me I wouldn't be too successful." "What makes you say that?" "You've been to Rapture that much is obvious, and not many make it topside.

In fact I didn't know anyone made it back to the surface." "You did." "I am a... special circumstance," Eleanor informed. "I'd like to hear your story." "and I yours," she answered.

"Good but first, would you kindly take that hypo off your wrist. It scares the shit out of me," he spoke in a friendly, and nice tone. "No. Not yet." she retorted.

"Good, that's the answer I was looking for." _What does he mean by that._ "What?" "It was a test. Don't ask just know you passed." "Ok, then..." She finally slouched down onto a chair.

"How did you learn of Rapture?" She questioned hesitantly. "Plane crashed out near that lighthouse eight years ago. I survived. Stumbled upon a bathysphere in the lighthouse.

Rode into hell. Simple as that." "Eight years ago...," She pondered, "Was Andrew Ryan still alive then?" "Yea, he was. I killed him." "You! I knew I'd heard your name before.

Jack Ryan, right!" She exclaimed. He chuckled, "Yep, that's me." She lifted her arm, and unlatched the ominous hypo. It fell to the floor with a hollow clinking sound.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "I couldn't kill you if I wanted to," She responded to his gesture. "Your more than likely right," he stated, "My resolve is a bit stronger than it was

when I was in Rapture." _I wonder why, _her mind wandered. "Really?" "Yea, I've got five teenage girls to watch over now." _He has daughters!_ Jack answered her unspoken statement, "Little

sisters that I rescued from Rapture. I adopted them." She was beginning to feel good about not killing herself. _He can help, teach me about the world above. _

Emotions she hadn't dealt with to often as of late began to rise within her. Like excitement, and happiness. "Could you...," She choked up,

"Could you help me, you know teach me about the world above. I was born in Rapture I know little of a world of laws." He just stared through her, seeming to observe nothing.

_Maybe I shouldn't of asked_, she suddenly thought. "I didn't survive a trip through Rapture with my morality in check, just to throw it away now, your welcome to stay with us.

I'll teach you what I know about this world. I can probably get you a job fairly quickly. How old are you?" Relief flooded through her veins as if it were ADAM.

"Sixteen, and thank you." "It's my pleasure. You've never spliced up have you?" "No, but being a little sister I've dealt with ADAM."

"ADAM is one thing, but having to hide plasmids makes living up here very challenging," He chuckled grimly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: _Alright I'm looking for ideas for things Eleanor should experience. I'm already doing the major things; School, First relationship (Romantic, and friendly), Marriage, Pregnancy (Maybe haven't decided for sure), and Jack's funeral (Probably going to be final chapter, IDK) So anything else that can be used to give more content to the story would be great. *All credit will be given* Thank you for your time, enjoy the chapter._**

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><p><strong>DRIVING<strong>

"Good luck, Ele!" The five juvenile girls called after her in unison, as she nervously left the sturdy mansion.

Jack watched her from the passenger seat of his 1964 ebony, Ford Fairlane, as she popped open the door, and slipped into the driver's seat.

"Ok, first things first," Jack stated, "Put on your seatbelt." He pointed to the vinyl belt dangling next to her head. She pulled it over, and attempted to click it into place.

After a few amusing moments of trial, and error, Jack took the offending piece of metal, and fit it into the socket like a puzzle. Her cheeks flushed from embarrassment as she took the keys from Jack's outstretched hand. "Put the key in the ignition, and turn it to the right to start it."

This she was able to do with little problem. "Now, check the outside mirrors to ensure you can see one rear wheel in both mirrors.

She adjusted the driver side mirror accordingly, the passenger side was already perfect. "Now, the rear-view mirror." He pointed to the mirror, "Make sure you can see out the rear window clearly, when you look at it." She moved it slightly, and nodded.

"Ok, now you have a clutch, the peddle on the far left of the floor board, a brake peddle in the middle, and the gas pedal on the right. Now over here." he said, pointing to the shifter, "You have your shifter. You have five gears. First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth. Then there is reverse, and neutral."

He instructed her on how it worked, and then had her try it. "Ok, now I want you to shift it into reverse, and slowly pull out of the driveway. Like I showed you." "Alright," She gulped.

Jack wore a bemused expression as he watched Eleanor guide the car out of the driveway slowly, VERY slowly.

Once the car was safely on the road she released a huff of breath, _Success__!_, She thought. "Good, push in the clutch, and shift into first, but do not release the clutch."

She did as told, "Now, carefully apply pressure to the gas pedal, and at the same time gently release the clutch." She managed, the car screeched at her when she released the clutch a bit quickly, but it did not stall.

Traveling five miles per hour down the street she was happy. "Good job, get it up to about fifth-teen, and switch too second."

Once again she felt relieved when she succeeded.

Soon though, she began to feel the car begging for more it wanted to go faster, needed to go faster. She began speeding up, and shifting without instruction.

She felt good, powerful. She liked it. "Eleanor! Slow down! Slow down!" Jack was practically yelling. Even when the words reached her they were far off. "Eleanor! Eleanor!... Eleanor... Eleanor..."

*_FLASHBACK*_  
><em><br>"__Eleanor__! __That__ is__ not t__he w__a__y a young __lady__ should__ act__!" __Her__ mother __shouted__. __The__ young__ Eleanor__ had__ seen__ a__ beautiful__ flower__ in__ one__ of__ Arcadia__'__s __plant __shoppes__, __but_

_when__ she __asked __her__ mother __for __it__, __She__ told__ her __she __was__ not__ ready__ for __the __kind __of__ responsibility__ keeping__ a__ plant__ alive __entailed__. __So__ the__ young __girl__ did__ what__ every __four_

_year__ old__ did__. __She __threw__ a__ tantrum__, __screaming__, __crying__, __the __whole __nine __yards__. __She__ went__ without__ dinner__ that__ night__. __Her__ mother__ had__ told__ her__ she __had__ great __plans__ for __her__,_

_and__ she__ had__ to __learn __how__ to __listen__. __She__ never __threw __a__ tantrum __again__, __not __in __front __of __her__ mother__ anyways__._

*END FLASHBACK*

"ELEANOR! SLOW DOWN!" Jack was screaming now. She was forced out of her memories, and back into the present. Then she realized how fast she was going, and began to panic.

"What do I do!" She shouted. "The BRAKES, USE THEM." Jack immediately regretted not explaining how to properly apply the brakes.

Instinctively she had slammed her foot down. The Fairlane veered left so dramaticly Eleanor was sure it would flip, but something prevented it from doing so.

Once the mechanical beast ceased its chaotic swerving Eleanor forced the door open, and made a break for the highway median, where she tasted her breakfast for the second time that morning.

Jack was resting his head on the dashboard when she made it back to the offending vehicle. "I'm so so sorry." She apologized.

Jack rose with a small grin on his face, "I am not going to be able to quit splicing as long as your around am I?" He revealed his left hand which beheld the effects of the telekinesis plasmid.

"You stopped this demon car from flipping?" He chuckled, and nodded, "Does that mean you want me to drive back?" He asked. "No I think I can do it." "Fine, but be careful. Please."

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><p>The duo arrived safe, and sound back at the cozy mansion. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief, after they removed themselves from the Fairlane. They<p>

were waiting at the door for the girls to unlock it when a distinct creaking sound reached Eleanor's ears. "What's that noise?" She questioned.

Jack shrugged, and glanced around. Then he hung his head in shame. "What? What's wrong?" She asked worriedly. "I forgot to teach you about the parking brake." He mumbled.

"Huh?" She looked in the direction of the driveway, and cringed. The Fairlane had rolled out onto the street, and into a neighboring mailbox.

The ex-big sister decided to hang her head in shame as well.


End file.
